After an uneventful trip to Ikea, I was reminded of a visit a few years ago that was more eventful and searched the archives for my thoughts on that visit: Having purchased an immoderate quantity of raw pickled fish, I left Ikea, and unusually, remembered to remove the parking ticket from my wallet, before sitting upon it, and thus negating the awkwardness of extricating it at the barrier . With the aforementioned ticket held at…
‘Driftwood’ Ray
I’m Ray, also known as ‘Driftwood’ Ray. My early history is unknown, but I was found washed up on a North Devon beach a number of years ago. As a driftwood log, time and tide hadn’t been kind to me, I was fairly battered and starting to fall apart. I was rescued and carried home, then put somewhere out of the elements, to give me time to dry off. Nothing happened for five or so…
The full skinny on how we make our wands
First, we sort through the coppiced timber looking for potential wands. Anything with honeysuckle curled around it is a possibility Next, we cut them to length on site. I use a saw called a Silky Gomboy (catchy name). It is a Japanese saw and like many Japanese saws it cuts on the pull, not the push. The wand is then clamped in a shave-horse, you push with your feet and it clamps the piece, leaving…
Bluebells!
Down at Pondhead enclosure, the Bluebells are coming on thick and fast. Click on the box on the right to go full screen, then use the arrows on the left to see what it looked like when we cut it in January. More can be found about Pondhead and the work of the volunteers here: http://www.pondheadconservation.org.uk/
A corking new idea!
We’ve never stoked cork products, it wasn’t so much the argument whether it’s wood or not, more the simple fact that while wood is textured, grained and infinity variable, cork is just a little bit plain; too homogeneous to have the character of a hardwood. But you can’t help feeling a little sorry for an environmentally friendly industry that has been usurped by composite corks and metal lids, so we’ve had another look, and look…
Is it a Westie?
We know our woods, we though we knew our dogs, but now we’re not so sure! Is it a Westie?Yorkie?Jack Russell?Border Terrier? Well, it’s on Alder wood; at least we know that! Here are some other designs:All about 15″ x 10″ (380mm x 250mm) These are all one-offs and some are already sold, but we are happy to attempt any image or re-do one we have already tried. A complete gallery of these boards can…
Alder Animal Coasters
We designed some coasters last year, asked a man with a machine to laser them for me in Oak… when he had finished, he said ‘all done, only I couldn’t get oak, so we used bamboo’ …well we do like I bit of environmentally friendly grass; but it’s not very English, the New Forest is not exactly famous for it’s swathes of bamboo! So earlier this year, we had a chance meeting with another man…
The Bewitching Yew
Come sit awhile under my shade in a quiet corner of the churchyard. Breathe deeply the aroma ofmy sweet fermenting berries; relax as wood nymphs and faeries dance on the edge of yourvision, as your thoughts mingle with your dreams.Take my bark, my wood, my leaves or my berries, make medicine or poison; your choice.But save my trunk for the master bowyer; for when the King calls, the longbow is all that will standbetween you and ruin.…